Today, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar will assume leadership roles as Election Commissioners

On Friday, the newly appointed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar will assume leadership roles.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection panel named both of them as election commissioners.

In an official statement released on Thursday, the Ministry of Law and Justice stated: “The President is pleased to appoint Gyanesh Kumar, IAS (Retd.), and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, IAS (Retd.), as Election Commissioners in the Election Commission of India, with effect from the date they assume charge of their office, in exercise of powers conferred by Section 4 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023 (Act No. 49 of 2023).”

Arun Goel, the Election Commissioner, resigned from his position on March 9. The President accepted his resignation.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, expressed disagreement with the government’s nominees for the post of Election Commissioner on Thursday.

The Leader of the Opposition, Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened as a screening committee earlier to review candidates for the open posts of election commissioner.

Following the selection committee meeting, Chowdhury said that there were “some lacunae” in the process used to choose the Election Commissioners.
“They (the government) control the majority (in the election commissioner selection committee).” then had given me 212 names before, but then gave me just six names again ten minutes before the appointment. I am aware that the CJI is absent since the government has passed legislation allowing the Central government to choose a name that is in its best interests. The Congressman said, “I’m not saying it’s arbitrary, but there are some gaps in the process that is being followed.”

In February, Gyanesh Kumar resigned from his position as secretary of the ministry of cooperation, and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu was the previous chief secretary of the Uttarakhand government.
On January 31, 2024, Sandhu, an IAS official from the 1988 batch, resigned from his position as Chief Secretary.

A law to govern the appointment and tenure of Chief Election Commissioners and election commissioners was enacted by the Rajya Sabha on December 12. The Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act of 1991 is being replaced by this law.

According to the Bill, the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, or the leader of the biggest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, shall suggest candidates for the CEC and EC positions, which the President will then appoint.

Seeing to it that the next Lok Sabha elections, which are scheduled for April and May of this year, are successfully conducted, would be the incoming election commissioner’s first priority.